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sábado, 11 de octubre de 2014

Angel falls.

The Angel's falls, is the highest waterfall on earth, with 979m. It's located in Canaima National Park, in Venezuela. The water falls from the Auyantepui mountain.

How to get there.
The only way to visit the Angel's falls in with a tour operator. You'll pay around 120€, for a three days tour. Food and accommodation included. It is not possible to do it on your own.
The best way is to book it in Ciudad Bolivar airport and pay in Bolivares, after changing them in the black market, in order to get around 10 times the official rate.

You can also just buy the fly ticket to Canaima, where you'll get in a light aircraft, and once you arrive book the tour in one of the camps. But they might charge you extra, since you already are in the National Park, and you have not many options.

I don't like when you can't do this stuff on your own, especially because it's a bit expensive, but it's definitely worth it. You'll experience one of the best views you could ever see.

When to go.
As a tropical country, in Venezuela there are rainy and wet season.

During the wet season, from June to November, the waterfall drops a big amount of water, which makes it even more impressive. However, there's a bigger chance than the tepuy will be covered by the clouds.

During the dry season, December to May, the Tepuy will be more likely to be seen, but the waterfall will barely drop water. Besides, if the river has not enough water, the canoe might not be able to get to the camp on the Angel's falls base.

Considering this, I guess the best time to go is at the beginning of the dry season, since there's still water on the mountain, and the clouds are no longer at the sky.

But you may get a beautiful day in the middle of August, and a storm in January.

What to see.

Canaima Lagoon.

This beautiful lagoon is next to the camps, and you'll see indigenes bathing and washing clothes here.

There's a waterfall, which provides electricity to the whole village. I was told this is the only place in Venezuela where the electricity never goes off.

Salto del Sapo.

To get to this one, you'll need a 10 minutes canoe trip slog the lagoon, and another 15 minutes walking thorough the jungle. Once you get to the waterfall, it's possible to walk behind it, so make sure you bring a waterproof cover for your electronic gadgets.

Angel's falls.

The main attraction.

It's not close to the camp. It's five hours away, going up the Carrao river first, and then the Churun river, with motorized canoes. After that, there's a hike through the jungle. Apparently it's one hour walking to get to the view point, but you can make it way faster. I took me no more than 30 minutes, and it's easy to follow the tracks.

Once in the viewpoint, you can enjoy a breathtaking view. The only problem I found, was a wasp nest, so there were those annoying insects everywhere.

From the view point, you can get to the base of the falls, and enjoy a refreshing bath in the river.

That night you sleep in a camp, in hammocks, and the next morning you will head to the main camp again.

How long does it deserve:
Unfortunately, you are not allowed to spend a couple of days in the falls base. If you want to see it twice, you must pay twice, and travel twice.But you can stay as long as you want in Canaima Lagoon, which is not really expensive, and you can relax for a few days.